Pacing Cup win a Warp Drive

By Brad Kingsbury
THE name of Quinlan is well known in West Gippsland harness racing circles and it was to the fore again on Saturday night as leading reinswoman Jodi Quinlan piloted champion pacer The Warp Drive to victory in the Group 2 Cranbourne Pacing Cup.
The niece of popular Drouin West training couple Gary and Debbie Quinlan, she was the only woman driver in the $50,000 race.
However she proved more than a match for the boys in a tactical triumph that saw the $7.50 chance lead all the way and down several more fancied runners in a sprint to the line.
Foreal finished half a neck away in second position, with Sting Lika Bee a head away in third place.
Warm favourite Reebah Rajah was an unlucky fourth after being held up on the fence for most of the race.
Quinlan gave The Warp Drive, trained at Bacchus Marsh by Phillip Chircop, a breather in the second quarter (mile) that set up the win.
She outpointed her highly rated rivals who decided not to attack her in the lead and said later she was surprised how well the tactic had worked.
“It panned out a little bit better than I thought it would actually,” she said.
“When I was able to get that second quarter in 32 and a bit (seconds) it really set the race up for us.
“I was confident when I had a look around at the 400 (metre mark).
“I thought we had Sting Lika Bee beaten on the outside and to my horse’s credit, when Foreal got to him, he really kicked on.”
Quinlan has had an association with Chircop’s stable for a number of years and has driven The Warp Drive for the past two seasons.
The pair will try to repeat the success in the Victoria Cup at Moonee Valley on Saturday, 16 December, with the Cranbourne Pacing Cup win earning the sevenyearold horse an automatic start in the Group 1 feature.
A huge crowd, estimated as a record, attended the Cranbourne Harness Racing Club’s showcase meeting and chief executive Jacquie Richardson praised the efforts of all involved in staging the successful event.